Ch. 11 – Liberty, Precedence, and Preeminence
In Another World with My Smartphone is owned by AT-X, Tokyo MX, and BS11, I only own the OCs. Semper Fidelis, Oorah! I'm debating whether to release more chapters with less words or less chapters with more words. Let me know what your thoughts are.
"Hold your fire, it's the Sergeant!" A voice yelled from behind the sandbags. James looked at the citizens of Faybell that stood guard at key points of the settlement; Vickers Machine Guns were positioned behind sandbag covers, the guards held Fedorov Avtomat M1916s while the guards in the towers had Mondragon Rifles, the wall around Faybell had razor wire that ran along the tops of the wall. Some of the guards inside the village carried Winchester Model 1897 Pump Shotguns aka Trench Shotguns and Maxim MG08/15s, James looked at their gear and noticed they had Colt M1911s in holsters on their belts.
"Jones and Foley did a good job arming and training these people, but we don't have time for small talk, we have to get ready for an incoming assault force." James explained as he walked into the village while Pearson moved the tank to face the direction of the enemy convoy. The mayor walked up to James but the Gunnery Sergeant was too focused on moving the guards into place. "You three, get on that barricade. You guys were trained by two of the best Marines I know, don't worry though since we'll be right here with you." James stated as the guards ran to get into place while the women and children were hidden inside the houses with guards armed with shotguns stood outside the houses.
The rest of the Marines moved into the village and took up multiple positions, the Super Stallion took off into the air again before it started to circle the area with Elliott and Feldman in the door gunners. Ramirez walked up next to James as they gazed out over the horizon as a stampede of horses and carriages filled the horizon. "Hey Gunny, how do you want to do this?" Ramirez asked, James remained silent as he pulled out his rifle and took a knee behind the sandbags. James took a breath in before he squeezed the trigger, the rifle bucked as a bullet erupted out of the barrel and screamed across the land before it struck a wagon wheel on one of the carriages.
The carriage wheel exploded before the side of the carriage dug into the ground and flipped over, the harness on the horses broke before the carriage rolled. The rest of the stampede came to a halt before other carriage wheels exploded, spent shells shot out of the receiver as James shot the carriage wheels. James stood up and swapped magazines in his rifle before he placed the rifle on his back, the raiding party came to a stop as the lead horse whinnied and rose up on its hind legs. The soldiers in the wrecked carriage crawled out of the mangled buggy and pulled out the other injured troops.
Yuri climbed up to the top and grabbed a Mondragon rifle from one of the wall guards, Yuri looked through the scope as he analyzed the situation "Yuri count two no three hundred troops, some out of commission due to carriage wreck. Most armed with sword and shield, few have crossbow. Should be like bombing fish in bear rolls." Yuri stated with a grin as he handed the rifle back to the guard. Ramirez sighed "Yuri... the saying is 'like shooting fish in a barrel'... what the fuck is a bear roll?" Ramirez asked confused, Yuri chuckled "I was gonna ask you, I figured it was strange American past time, you hunt bear with bare hands and make rolls out of bear to show bear who is real man, my babushka took on bear in old soviet village and fed us during the winter." Yuri stated, his Russian accent becoming more pronounced as he told the story from his life in Russia.
"I demand council with your leader!" A voice yelled out from the horizon, James climbed up onto the wall and cupped his hands around his mouth "WHAT'S YOUR OFFER!?" James yelled back, Ramirez looked at him confused "Eustace Bagges, seriously?" Ramirez asked, as James waited for a response; Foley and Jones told the Mayor to 'Bring out the King.', James overheard the conversation and turned around to see a set of barn doors open before an Armored Car with a turret on the roof pulled out slowly. "Jones! Foley! What the fuck is that?" James asked confused. "Sir, this is a King Armored Car. Used by the Marines in WW1. Turret is a modified Lewis Gun, changed to be belt fed instead of the pan mag." Jones explained.
"Our offer is that we will let you live, just hand over the women and children and all is forgiven!" The leader of the raiding party yelled, the man chuckled as he looked at the other soldiers who also laughed. "I tell ya what, you can very well much try." James yelled with a smirk, the leader of the raiding party withdrew his sword and pointed toward Faybell "Attack!" The leader yelled before the raiding party started to charge toward the gates of Faybell. "Alright people, this is what we trained you for, it's time to stand your ground. We have given you the tools to protect your village, show us what you're made of!" Jones yelled as he rallied the citizens of Faybell.
The armed citizens ran to the sandbags before they opened fire on the advancing raiding party, muzzles flashed as bullets ripped through the Aegis Obsidian raiders. A few raiders made it past the firing line and crawled through an opening in the barricade but were met with buckshot from Trench Shotguns. Ayumi drew back on her bow sent and arrow flying, the steel arrow pierced through a raider's throat and knocked them off their horse. The Vickers barked as they mowed down the Black Phantom members, chunks of metal armor chipped off as the .303 British rounds ripped through their bodies and slammed their bodies to the ground with a meaty splat.
"Mages! Move up!" The leader yelled before eight figures in black hooded robes ran up and held up their hands before they started to chant. "Gunners! Move to the front!" Jones yelled before the civilians holding the MG08/15s hustled to the front before they opened fire, the 7.92x57mm Mauser rounds shredded the mages bodies as spent shells leapt from the MGs. The Super Stallion loomed overhead before the door miniguns spun up and rained down hot lead that ripped through the other troops in black armor. Spent shells rained down from above and covered the grass in golden brass, the rifles in the towers rang out as they gunned down the troops that attempted to circumvent the village walls.
Suddenly, the troops stopped and made a hasty retreat over the horizon "Yeah! You better run!" One of the guards yelled, James stood up and stared at the horizon "Don't celebrate yet." James said as he continued to stare at the horizon. "Gunny! There's a large cart like object rapidly approaching your position." Roman said through their comms as a Predator Drone flew overhead. James opened his drone control laptop and looked at the object that was rapidly approaching Faybell, James zoomed in on the object and noticed barrels on the cart and the noticeable lack of horses. James placed the Drone's crosshairs on the cart before he let loose a Hellfire missile that screamed through the air and met its target. The cart exploded in a brilliant flash of light and fire as debris flew everywhere.
Chunks of burning wood rained down and metal fell from the sky as smoke billowed up into the air. "That wasn't a cart, that was an IED meant for the walls of this village." James said as he stared at the crater. Memories of Afghanistan came flooding back like a fractured dam, the sounds of bullets cracking and voices yelling echoed in his mind but he was brought out of it when Ramirez grabbed his shoulder and shook him "Gunny! Gunny, you gotta focus!" Ramirez yelled as the sounds of the world around James came back to him.
"Oh fuck, what happened?" James asked as he slumped down with his back against the sandbag. "You had a thousand yard stare after the cart IED went off; you're safe, Gunny." Ramirez said as he centered the Gunnery Sergeant. "Heads up, they're regrouping!" Fox stated as he stood on the wall with Yuri, Pearson brought the Abrams around and turned the turret toward the approaching Aegis Obsidian troops. "Loading a Canister Round, those poor sons a bitches." Pearson said moments before the Abrams rocked and sent 1,100 tungsten spheres into the enemy, effectively liquifying them.
The remaining Aegis Obsidian soldiers staggered over the pulverized soldiers that were painted on the ground. "Screw this, this ain't worth it." One of the soldiers said before he threw his sword down and jogged away from the battlefield. One of the raid leaders pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot an arrow at the deserter, the arrow pierced the back of the soldiers skull and ripped through their grey matter. "Anybody else thinking about running will meet the same fate, now get in there and kill those bastards!" The raiding party leader yelled. James sighed as he adjusted the knob on his scope as he focused on the leader's head; James watched as the man turned his head side to side to find any other deserters. James took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as he squeezed the trigger, the M110 bucked as a round erupted from the barrel and ripped through the leader's skull, painting blood and brain matter onto the green field; the horse whinnied as it rose up on its hind leg before the raiding party leader's lifeless corpse fell to the ground with a thud.
The remaining soldiers dropped their weapons and raised their hands into the air "We surrender!" One of the soldiers yelled, James stood up as the Super Stallion flew over while Mayor Luca walked up to James "They've surrendered, how do you want to handle this? We can hand them over to Alephis." James stated as the mayor looked at the surrendering soldiers. "Take them out, they chose to attack us so they should not be spared. These people that because we are demi-humans that we will just surrender? I think not." The mayor stated, James nodded before he pressed his throat comms "All units, open fire." James stated before the claps of gunfire filled the air, bullets erupted from the various firearms that lined the walls and the belt-fed Lewis gun that was on the King Armored Car that had pulled up to the front gate.
The bodies of the attackers were shredded by a volley of gunfire, bullets ripped through their black armor like a hot knife on butter; blood and viscera splattered onto the ground as the bodies crumpled to the ground. The gunfire died down as the last of the attackers were cut down where they stood. One of the snipers scanned the horizon as the smoke started to clear "No movement, everyone is dead." The sniper stated, James nodded before he closed his eyes and focused on his bond with Azazel, seconds later a demonic howl filled the air before Azazel rose out of the ground. "Got lunch for ya, Azazel." James said as he gestured to the field of corpses.
Azazel's three heads howled before multiple Hellhounds rose out of the ground and stormed the battlefield along with their master, their teeth tearing through the armor and into the flesh. The village watched as the corpses were devoured by hellhounds, limbs were torn off and devoured in mere seconds; minutes later, the field had been cleaned of bodies and all that remained were scattered weapons, chunks of armor, and pools of blood. The hellhounds howled before they sunk back into the ground "Thank you, Azazel." James said as the Hellfire Monarch leapt over the walls and stood next to the Gunnery Sergeant.
"Alright Marines! We're heading back to base but tonight we hit the town, drinks are on me." James stated before the other Marines cheered. "Wait, I thought the beach was our Liberty?" Ramirez asked but James shook his head "Not necessarily, that was recon and the building of an F.O.B so I think they deserve some actual Liberty." James explained as he looked up at the walls where the Marines assisted the villagers in reloading and cleaning up the spent shells, the mayor approached James with two villagers in tow "Thank you for having your soldiers to train our villagers, with what we trained and the weapons provided, we can hold off any attack." Mayor Luca explained, James nodded "Just remember, if anything happens just press the button we gave you." Jones stated, Luca held up a small pager like button "I press this button and it sends distress call to your castle." Luca stated as he explained the function of the pager that Jones had made.
"Alright Marines, load up and head back to base!" James yelled as the Super Stallion landed in the field outside the village, a [Gate] opened before Pearson drove the Abrams through while the Marines piled into the back of the Super Stallion. James waved the helicopter as the girls surrounded him, James snapped his fingers and opened a [Gate] back to the castle. James stepped out of the [Gate] with the girls in tow, Yuki raised her arm and stretched as she let out a cute moan of relief "I haven't fought like that in a while." Yuki said before Misuki walked up behind her and kneaded her thumbs into Yuki's shoulders "Oh Yuki, your shoulders are so tense. Maybe our man should get us a hot spring." Misuki said with a wink. James chuckled as the girls went into the castle to get cleaned up.
James walked to the barracks and looked around at the well-developed weight room, he walked up to the punching bag before he slid his right leg back and raised his fists. The sniper exhaled slowly before he started to lay into the punching bag, each punch landed caused the chain to rattle as his fists seemed to mold the sand inside the bag. James hit the bag and quickly slid out of the way before he struck the backside of the bag, James bobbed and weaved as if were fighting an actual person; James grabbed the bag and stopped it from swinging as he exhaled slowly. James stepped back before he heard a knock on the metal wall, James turned around and found Ramirez standing in front of him.
"Penny for your thoughts, Gunny?" Ramirez asked as the James approached his battle buddy "I don't know, this whole thing with the Council of Aegis Obsidian and the Black Phantom Company. It just feels like we missed something, and then there's the whole thing with the Phrase... I just hope we're prepared for whatever may come and that it doesn't mean the nuclear option but just in case, use [Search] to see if there are any Uranium deposits. Let's hope it doesn't come to that." James stated as he crossed his arms. Ramirez nodded before he clapped his hands together "So, what's the plan?" Ramirez asked, James chuckled "Alephis, hit up a bar or tavern however they call it here, civies only" James said, referring to their wardrobe.
"Civilian clothes, are you planning some drinking and diversion?" Ramirez asked, James shook his head "I think we should scout to see if there are any shot callers in Alephis, take out some factions and it can cause a power vacuum." James explained. Ramirez shook his head "You never stop working, do you?" Ramirez said as he walked to the barracks to get changed. James thought to himself for a moment before he snapped his fingers and opened a [Gate] before he stepped through and found himself in the gem store in Canaan, the building was abandoned after discovering the shopkeeper's hobbies.
"This place is bad juju." James said as he looked around the dim shop, everything was in the exact same place they had left it in; layers of dust had formed on the counter while the fireplace had long burned out. James clicked on his tac light and swept the area, the windows had darkened from dust and ash. James walked behind the counter and pulled out boxes of gemstones that he quickly placed into his bag; as he pulled out the last box, a strange booklet fell out onto the floor "So Gerard, a secret from beyond the grave." James chuckled to himself as he picked up the booklet, the Marine flipped through the booklet but didn't find anything that he already knew "Looks like sales records that he made under the table, screwing over his customers. Good riddance." James said as he sat the booklet down and finished looting the shop.
James looked around the shop until he found a door that led upstairs, he quickly withdrew his M45 1911 and opened the door slowly; the hinges creaked and groaned before the Marine ascended the stairs to the attic, dust particles floated through the air as James examined the 2nd floor living quarters. The bedroom remained in the condition Gerard had left it in before his involuntary departure, James walked into the bedroom where Gerard seemed to keep some prized possessions like a Rapier with an Ivory sheath and handle, the hand guard was inlayed with different types of gems.
James picked the sword up from the display stand and removed it from its sheath, the blade gleamed from the light of the flashlight as James examined it closely. He slid the blade back into the sheath and placed it under his belt before he kept looting Gerard's room. James examined the room after he thoroughly picked it clean of any valuables or trophies, he walked up to the bed before he popped a bullet from a magazine on his molle vest.
The sniper snapped the bullet off and dumped the gunpowder onto the bed in the shape of line, he piled linen onto the bed before he pulled a lighter from his pocket. He held a piece of silk and sparked the lighter "Good riddance, sorry Canaan." James said he lit the silk on fire and tossed it onto the bed, the bed went up like a roaring inferno; James stared sight as the fire flickered in his eyes, James snapped his fingers and walked back through to the castle.
James walked into his workshop and placed the boxes of gems onto the workbench along with other materials, James picked up a gold ingot and examined it before he pressed his throat comms "Jones, assemble the Marines into formation and have Booker at the front." James said as he held the metal ingot. "Roger." Jones said; minutes later, James walked out carrying the metal ingot wrapped in the flag of the Marine Corps. As James walked up, the Marines stood at parade rest while James approached Booker "Sir Booker Welter, you served High Priest Juniper until the very end and now fight alongside the United States Marine Corps, and as such you should wear our emblem with pride and honor." James said as he opened the flag to reveal three 1 Ounce gold bars.
James raised the first bar to Booker's chest and held his hand over it "[Modeling]." James said before the gold took shape and melded with Booker's metallic body, the gold took shape and formed the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on his chest. James handed one ingot to Jones who stood on the right side of Booker while James stood to the left "Fleur-de-lis, [Modeling]." James said along with Jones before the ingots took shape into the symbol used by the New Orleans Saints.
"The symbols on your arms symbolize noble stature and knightlihood, the one on your chest is honor, integrity, bravery, and duty. The Eagle is the symbol of the United States, the Eagle carries a banner with our motto: Semper Fidelis, meaning Always Faithful. The Globe signifies the worldwide commitment of the Marine Corps and its areas of responsibility. Marines serve in any clime or place. The fouled Anchor, whose origin dates back to the founding of the Marine Corps in 1775, represents the amphibious nature of the Marines' duties and emphasizes the close ties between the Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. Wear this emblem with pride." James said as he took a step back.
"Thank you sir, it is an honor." Booker said as the sun gleamed off his metallic body, the Marines clicked their heels together and saluted Booker. The knight turned and looked at his friends who had accepted him with open arms "Thank you for being my comrades... my friends, it is truly an honor to fight alongside you all." Booker said to the Marines who went back to parade rest. "Alright, dismissed." James said before the Marines dispersed. James returned to his shop and started to open the boxes he took from the Canaan shop that he burned to the ground, James placed some of the ingots onto the table and used [Modeling] to turn them into necklace chains. James picked through the gems until he found what he needed: Bixbite, Purple Sapphire, Titanite, Pink Topaz, and Green Garnet, James used [Modeling] to make the ingots into smaller components before he put the gems on top of five gold ingots. James raised both hands and closed his eyes as he pictured a pendant design in his mind, "[Modeling]!" James said before the gems and ingots fused into five heart-shaped pendants, James fed the chains through the pendant bail and snapped the clasps together.
As James looked at the five necklaces, he had a thought and held his hands over the necklaces "[Enchant: Power Rise, Boost, Refresh.]" James said as he enchanted the five necklaces before he placed them in leather cases, he picked up the boxes and made his way to castle to get ready for the night. The marksman entered the castle where he was greeted by Elvie "Greetings Master James, welcome home." Elvie said as she bowed to the Marine. James held his hands up with a chuckle "Just call me James." James said with a smirk.
James walked into the castle and made his way to his room where the girls were in the bathroom and Azazel was on the bed "Hey bud, why are you my bed?" James asked as he sat the cases on the dresser. "Protecting your queens." Azazel said before he jumped off the bed with a thud. James chuckled as he unstrapped his molle vest and pulled it off his body, he draped the plate carrier over a chair followed by his BDUs. James pulled off a sweat drenched undershirt and tossed it into a hamper before he took his boots off to let his feet breathe. James pulled his sidearms out of his tactical belt before he unfastened it. James pulled his rings off and placed them on the dresser before he grabbed fresh clothes and made his way to the spare bathroom, James browsed through his phone while he turned the shower on "Ahh AC/DC, a classic." James said as he pressed play on a song and projected a [Speaker] on the roof.
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC
James nodded his head along with the guitar rhythm as he stepped into the shower and closed the door behind him.
If you're having trouble with the high school head
He's giving you the blues
You wanna graduate, but not in his bed
Here's what you gotta do:
Pick up the phone, I'm always home
Call me anytime
James was caught up with the music that he didn't hear the door open and close as someone entered the bathroom.
Just ring: 3-6, 2-4, 3-6, hey
I lead a life of crime
As James let the water wash over him, the dirt and the filth washed off his body before it was swallowed by the drain, James lost himself as he started to sing along with Bon Scott
Dirty deeds (Done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (Done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (Done dirt cheep)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
James ran his fingers through his hair before he grabbed the shampoo that Victoria learned to make and put some in his hair, the feeling of the soap washing away the day was like a removing a seven inch splinter from his foot.
You got problems in your life of love?
You got a broken heart?
He's double dealin' with your best friend
That's when the tear drops start, fella
Pick up the phone, I'm here alone
Or make a social call
Come right in, forget about him
We'll have ourselves a ball
James stuck his head under the shower and let the water peck away the suds as he continued to sing but as he sang, some soap suds got into his mouth and caused him to spit wildly. As he rinsed his mouth out, he heard the faint sound of giggling but shrugged it off to being echoes.
Dirty deeds (Done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (Done dirt cheap)
Dirty deeds (Done dirt cheep)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap (Aww)
Dirty deeds and they're done dirt cheap
James finished showering and turned the water off, the steam filled the air as he stepped out and reached for a towel but it seemed it wasn't where he placed it.
If you got a lady and you want her gone
But you ain't got the guts
She keeps naggin' at you night and day
Enough to drive you nuts
Pick up the phone, leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
James focused his senses to find his towel but sensed another person, he stepped towards the person but it seemed as if they disappeared, he made out the faint appearance of pink hair and what seemed like light blue eyes "Oh no you don't, Wind flow, Be a calm soft wind, [Breeze Wind]." James said before a breeze of wind came out of nowhere and caused the steam to disperse; James was met with the wall as he pressed pause on his phone. James turned around and found his towel was on the sink "I thought I put you on the toilet lid?" James asked as he picked up the towel and dried himself off before he put on his fresh clothes, James pulled on his gym shorts but found his shirt was missing.
"Alright, is someone fucking with me?" James asked confused as he walked out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom. The girls were out of the bathroom and had finished putting on their lingerie, Yuki had put one of James's rings on while she was getting dressed. She looked over at James who stood in the doorway shirtless which caused Yuki's heart to skip a beat as a [Speaker] formed above her.
Levels - Nick Jonas
Get on my elevator
Baby, we're going up
Give me that now and later, I can't get enough
So much to discover, please don't stop me now (Don't stop me)
Every time I touch you, lift right off the ground
The girls stared at James who chuckled as he clicked the song off and walked into the bedroom with his lovely ladies, James grabbed another shirt from the dresser and pulled it on over his dog tags. The coyote brown T-Shirt was tight in the sleeves and accented his biceps "Say, were one of you girls in the bathroom with me about a minute ago?" James asked with a chuckle as he turned around but he was met with silence "Uhm no, we were all here in the shower. We thought you were out here so we came out to seduce you but there was no one here." Misuki explained, James turned back around and looked at the dresser before he looked at the boxes. He opened the lids to the boxes and found the necklaces were gone "Shit. All units, lock down the premises. Intruder alert, I repeat, Intruder alert!" James said through the comms on his plate carrier before he grabbed his MR412 and moved down the hall with it pointed toward the ground.
James looked out the window and saw the Marines on the wall with their weapons aimed toward the courtyard while the Black Knights took multiple positions around the castle, Azazel roamed the halls sniffing the ground until he stopped at a window that was open. James ran walked up to the window and looked out, a lone tree stood near the window and some branches were noticeably broken or disturbed; as James examined the window, he felt Azazel nudge his leg before his right head looked up at a strand of hair "You didn't hear anything?" James asked Azazel as placed the strand of hair into a container. Azazel lowered his heads "I'm sorry sir, I failed to protect you." Azazel said apologetically but James shook his head "No, you did nothing wrong. We're dealing with someone who knew what they were doing, someone who is very stealthy." James explained.
"If they used an invisibility spell, nobody would have detected them and maybe a Null spell that removed sound to make them silent." James said out loud as he closed the window. "I'll keep an eye out while we're in Alephis, I got a plan." James said as he went back to his room to get ready for the night.
*Two Hours Later*
James emerged from the bedroom in a pair of black jeans that were discolored on the front, he wore a black and red long sleeve flannel shirt, and a pair of Green and Black DC Spartans to finish the look. James put his rings back on followed by his watch and a bracelet made of Paracord. James grabbed his M45 1911 and placed it into a holster on the inside of his jean's waistline, James grabbed some leather and used [Modeling] to turn it into a shoulder holster. He pulled the holster on and placed his MR412 Rex into the holster before he snapped it closed. He placed three spare mags for the M45 1911 into the pouch on the right side of the shoulder holster along with three 6 round speed loaders for the Rex.
James grabbed a black leather jacket and pulled it on over his flannel shirt so it covered the shoulder holster, James walked up to the window and looked out over the courtyard where five Black Escalades sat in formation while Ramirez and Fox put finishing touches on the SUV including armor paneling, emergency weapon containers in the trunk, and M134 Miniguns that folded into the cab. James turned around and found the girls in the bathroom putting on makeup with the assistance of Victoria "Wow, you girls look amazing." James said before the girls giggled, Shelyn put a gold earring through one of her wolf ears while Ayumi put on a necklace where the pendant rested between her cleavage; James walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist before he kissed her on the neck. Yuki and Naomi looked at Ayumi with a look of jealously and want.
"I love you girls too, I only have two arms unfortunately or I'd be holding all of you." James said before the girls gathered around him, James stepped back and examined the girl's attire; the girls wore short skirts, black corsets, and crop-top blouses "Jesus Christ, you girls look gorgeous." James said as he looked at the girls up and down. Victoria walked out of the bathroom but stopped when she saw the handle of James's MR412 "Hey Gunny, I gotta ask, why do you have a Russian revolver?" Victoria asked, James chuckled as he pulled his revolver out "I played a lot of Battlefield when I was on base, and when I found out they were never produced, I was disappointed but when I got a second chance, I got one." James explained before he re-holstered his revolver.
James escorted the girls out of the castle to the courtyard where the SUVs were parked "Alright Gunny, typical VIP treatment. VIPs in the middle SUV and protection in the front and the rear." Ramirez explained as he opened the passenger door, James helped the girls into the back seats before he got in with them, Ayumi took a seat on James's lap as he sat in the middle of the seats and wrapped his arms around Shelyn and Naomi while Yuki and Misuki wrapped their arms around James's neck. Ramirez and Victoria got into the front seats as the other Marines got into the other SUVs. Jones opened the front gate before the SUV's roared to life, the headlights illuminated the area before they pulled of the courtyard, the brake lights lit up the wall as Jones closed the gate and hopped into tail SUV.
The convoy drove out onto the dirt road and drove toward Alephis, the SUVs headlights illuminated a few deer that ran away into the brush as they drove toward the main gates. Two guards stood in front of the entrance and were in shock at what was rapidly approaching them, the guards raised their halberds before the SUVs slowed to a stop "Hey gentlemen, we're just going into town. We're with James Murphy." Foley said as he poked his head out of the lead SUVs driver window, the guards relaxed and stepped aside before the convoy drove into the city. The SUVs pulled into the downtown area of Alephis where the taverns and shops were.
James exited the middle SUV with the girls in tow before they made their way to a rather populated tavern, James looked up and looked for a name "The Double Bow, interesting name." James said before they passed through the door and found an open table near the bar. "Welcome to The Double Bow, I'll be right with you." A busty bar maiden said as she carried empty mugs and plates back to the bar, a blonde man with short hair in a suit of armor stuck his foot out and tripped the bar maiden which elicited a laugh from his table. "Can I please kick his ass?" Yuki asked as she clenched her fists, James chuckled before he patted her head "Down girl, I got this. [Slip]." James said before the man in armor fell out of his chair with a metallic thud, he attempted to stand but slipped again; as he fell, his jaw impacted the table and slammed his teeth together.
The bar maiden stepped over the man who writhed in agony as she approached James's table "Welcome to The Double Bow, what can I get for ya?" The maiden asked, James chuckled "Well, let's get a round of your finest alcohol and get one for yourself to join us, we insist." James said as he noticed Pearson's unbreaking gaze. The bar maiden giggled before she shot Pearson a wink and left to fetch their drinks. "Why did you invite her to the table?" Pearson asked flustered, James chuckled "Perhaps cause you haven't stopped gazing at her since we walked in." James said as he scanned the tavern. The marksman's eyes rested on a group of men near a fire who seemed to be discussing something to one person while a figure in a hooded cloak stood the left of the man at the head of the table.
He typed into Google Maps 'Search; enchanted gold necklaces.' before he pressed enter, the search wheel spun before a single pin landed on an establishment in Alephis 'The Double Bow'. "Alright, our finest alcohol, Roaring Eagle Ale." The bar maiden said before she sat the drinks down and took a seat next to Pearson who blushed. James seemed to narrow his eyes as he gazed at the party near the fire but his eyes rested on the figure in the cloak "I think I found our thief, but I don't think they did it willingly." James said before he took a sip of his ale, the alcohol hit his tongue but seemed to have no effect on the Marine thanks to the Marine Corp destroying his tolerance level.
James continued to watch the men until the man at the head of the table caught his gaze, the man gestured to one of the men at the table who stood up and made their way toward James's table "Hey service wench, our glasses are empty." The man said with a slur as he grabbed the bar maiden's hair and jerked her to the floor, she let out a yelp of pain before Pearson stood up and was toe to toe with the man. "Where I come from, we don't treat women like that. We show them respect and we deal with people like you personally." Pearson said as he moved closer to the man, the man chuckled as he looked around "And what are you *hick* going to do about it?" The man asked as he placed a hand on the sword that was on his hip.
Pearson's hand jumped up and caught the man's jaw before Pearson turned his head "Hey Gunny, he's got a Bronze Bull tattoo." Pearson said before he slammed his head into the man's nose, the drunk man collapsed to the ground as blood flowed from his now broken nose. Pearson helped the bar maiden to her feet and had her take a seat while James stood up "I'm gonna go meet our new friends." James said as he grabbed his ale and made his way to their table "I say gentlemen... you guys sure no how to make a first impression." James said as he feigned slurring his words and took a seat next to a man in bronze armor.
The table was covered with stacks of gold, gems, and five particularly familiar necklaces "Ohh, those are so pretty." James said as he started to reach for one of the necklaces but a dagger stabbed into the table in front of his hand "I suggest ye keep ya hands to yourself." One of the Bronze Bulls said, James chuckled as a click broke the silence "It's funny, what I have in my hand is a .357 Magnum, it will punch a hole through your armor without a second thought and render your organs to a pulp so I suggest you remove the blade before this gets bloody." James said with a whisper while he maintained eyesight on the cloaked figure behind him.
"What do you want? Gold, whores?" The head of the table asked but James shook his head "Those necklaces, they belong to me. I made them myself and I can take them now or after I kill each one of you. If you think I bluffing, you should know you're dealing with the man who turned Sandora into a smoldering hole." James said before he pulled a knife out and stabbed the man next to him in the hand. The other armored men shot up and drew their swords, the Marines withdrew their sidearms and racked the slides in unison that rang out through the tavern. "Put your swords down, take the necklaces and never return to my tavern." The man at the head of the table said before he moved the necklaces toward James who placed them in his jacket's pocket.
The cloaked figure gasped which caught James's attention "You, go to my table." James said to the cloaked figure, the figure was hesitant as the man at the head of the table glared at them. The figure backed away in haste, as they moved James could see pink hair flow out from under the cloak "Let me take a guess, you had them under your thumb to do your stealing but you didn't bet on them robbing the wrong person cause you're all on my shit list, ain't that convenient." James said before he raised his revolver and put one through the man head, the brain matter exploded out and caused the fire to flicker. The Marines shot up and unloaded on the rest of the Bronze Bulls until all that was left was shiny, bloody corpses.
The tavern was quiet as James stepped over corpses and shot the last Bronze Bull whom Pearson broke the nose of, he approached the cloaked figure and pulled their hood off to reveal a young girl with pink hair and pale blue eyes "So, you're the light footed thief." James said with a chuckle before the girl started to break down "I'm so sorry, they forced me to do their bidding or else they'd hurt my sister... I'm so sorry." The girl said apologetically, James chuckled as he grabbed an ale off the table and handed it to the girl "Here, have a drink and relax... you're not in danger." James explained, the girl nodded before she sat down at the table.
Ramirez and Fox moved over to the table of corpses before they started to check the bodies and dragged them outside of the Tavern. "Tell me, why were you being used as their thief?" James asked as he sat down on the bench. "It's... my father's debt. He passed away two years ago and they said that I have to pay off his debts or they'd hurt my family, so I've been stealing for them. I'm Kasumi by the way, I guess I should have formally introduced myself." Kasumi said as she drank some of the ale but winced at the alcohol's bite. "Do you have any family you can stay with?" Ayumi asked as she leaned over the table but Kasumi shook her head "I don't want them to get involved, my closest family is my twin sister but she lives in the Regulus Empire. She's a knight in the Battle Angel's Legion." Kasumi explained.
"We'll take care of the Bronze Bulls, we've been meaning to pay them a visit." James said with a chuckle. "Uhh Gunny, looks like we won't have to wait, look out the window." Fox said as they walked in through the door, James walked to the window and saw a large group of armored militants walking up the road toward the tavern. "Should we call the guards?" The bar maiden asked but Pearson shook his head "No, we got this covered." Pearson explained, Fox gestured to the SUVs outside "Got some goodies in the trunk." Fox stated with a smirk. The Marines exited the Tavern and crowded around the SUV as they opened the trunks and pulled the floor cover off to reveal "Voila! I curated this arsenal myself." Fox said proudly as the Marines looked at rows of firearms neatly ordered into foam slots.
"H&K 443's, 416's, CZ805 Bren, Mx4 and Cx4 Storms, and... is that an HK 21?" James asked before Fox lifted a box mag-fed assault rifle out of the trunk and rested the receiver on his shoulder "I also brought you a little present, a PSG-1. Equipped with a suppressor, an FLIR/NV 4x - 20x scope, and an angled foregrip/tripod depending on how you want to play it." Fox said as he handed the rifle to James along with five 20-round mags and an Mx4 Storm that James slung around his back before he placed five 30 round 9mm magazines into his pocket, James nodded to Ramirez before he ran to scale the side of a shop and set up on the roof top. "Everyone grab a throat comm and get armed up." Fox said as he pulled back the bolt on the rifle.
"Alright, I need three of you to set up behind that cart, two over behind that wall, everyone else find cover and get your suppressors on. We'll attempt to parlay but get ready for combat." Ramirez explained as James set up on the rooftop while the armored militants marched toward the Tavern. James tightened his grip on the rifle's handle as he slid a magazine into the receiver and pulled back the charging bolt before he pressed the stock into his shoulder as he aimed down the street. The sound of horse hooves clicked against the stone road echoed off the buildings as the Bronze Bulls made their approach, James twisted the knob on the side of the scope as he zoomed in on the lead carriage.
James laid on his side as he slid a mag into the rifle's receiver before he pulled back the bolt and rolled over so his chest was against the roof of the shop, James exhaled slowly as he moved the rifle around to look at the targets. "Alright Ramirez, you're up." James said through his throat comms, Ramirez nodded before he stumbled out into the road and waved to the Bronze Bulls "Oh thank the gods, there's a mad man in the tavern. He killed some guys in armor saying he was taking the debt, I don't know what that means." Ramirez said as he feigned panic in his voice, the lead bull gritted his teeth before he withdrew his sword "Alright, everyone spread out and look for the thief, I want her alive." The lead bull said before the rest of the Bronze Bulls dismounted their horses.
Kasumi seemed to sink down behind one of the SUVs along with Ayumi who had her bow out with an arrow in the string's nock while Naomi and Misuki who tried to keep her quiet. The men in armor started to close in on the tavern with swords, spears, and shields; the lead bull stood in front of the Tavern with his sword at the ready "Oh Kasumi, we know you're in there. Come out so you can pay off your debt, I know daddy dearest tried to give you the best life but he was a fool to think demi-humans can live like humans." The lead bull said with a smirk, James twisted the knob and steadied the crosshairs on the bragging bull's chest.
'Jesus, are all these gangs racist or specie-ist, eh they die the same.' James thought to himself as he looked up from the scope to see the others' locations, "We're all set up, on your go." Foley said as he hid behind a barrier. "Alright Kasumi, if you don't come out then we'll be coming in... and I won't be gentle." The lead bull said with a smirk before he took a step toward the tavern. James smiled before he placed his finger on the trigger and squeezed it slowly, the rifle bucked before a .308 round ripped through his chest. The man's body crumpled to the ground before the other Marines rose up and opened fire on the rest of the Bronze Bulls. Bullets pierced their bodies and caused them to crumple to the ground, the bulls raised their shields to protect themselves but the 5.56 rounds ripped through them like butter, the metal armor clattered to the ground and scrapped against the brick road.
The Bronze Bulls attempted to fight back but bullets popped from the rooftops and hit the bulls, one bull attempted to strike at the girls but a bullet screamed from James's PSG-1 and pierced through the man's skull. The bulls formed a circle with their shields to cover themselves, Fox emptied the rest of his magazine in his rifle before he withdrew his sidearm to finish off the shield soldiers. The shields and bodies clattered to the ground, blood leaked from their bodies and flowed into the streets. The Marines walked out from cover as the last body fell, Pearson looked around and kicked a body "Good riddance ya pieces of shit." Pearson said before he spat on one of the corpses, Elliot turned around and saw Bronze armor running down the road.
"We got a runner!" Elliot yelled before a shot rang out, the man's body slammed to the ground and slid into a gutter. James looked up from the scope and gazed down the road as the horses scattered and galloped away; the streets got quiet before the sound of groaning broke the silence. "Man down! We got a man down!" Ramirez yelled as he ran over to Feldman who had a throwing knife sticking out of his back. James's eyes went wide before he started scanning the rooftops and alleyways, the Marines got to work patching up the wounded Marine "Come forth, Light! Calm of the Goddess: Mega Heal." Ramirez said as he held his hand over the wound, Kasumi ran over and looked at the knife in stunned silence before she spoke "Celina the Silent... this is her knife." Kasumi said as she examined the blade, Kasumi dropped the knife before she backed up and tried to run away but Naomi caught her and held her by the shoulders "Don't run, we can help you... James can help you." Naomi stated, Ramirez helped Feldman to his feet before the Marines regrouped around the SUVs, the Marines gathered around the armored vehicles as James broke down his sniper nest.
The Marksman jumped off the roof and landed on a dumpster before he walked toward the SUVs, he opened the trunk and placed his rifle back into the mini armory in the rear of the SUV. The girls brought Kasumi over who held the ornate knife in her hand "Her name is Celina but she goes by 'Celina the Silent' she's a friend who told me she'd always have my back so this might be a misunderstanding." Kasumi explained, James didn't look up as he put the rifle and SMG away "We'll be heading to the Regulus Empire to find some individuals that are linked to the Bronze Bulls, you're welcome to join us and to stay with us until we get to Regulus and you can find your sister." James explained while the Marines moved the bodies into alleyways and hid the bodies carefully.
Kasumi seemed hesitant to answer before James spoke up again "You stay out here, your odds of survival drop to 35% but we can keep you safe." James said before he closed the hatch to the SUV, Kasumi was silent before she nodded slowly "Alright, I appreciate it." Kasumi said before Victoria led her to one of the SUVs as the other Marines were starting to mount up. James turned to the girls with a smirk before he reached into his pocket to pulled out the necklaces and slowly put them on each girl "I was hoping to give these to you earlier but these are special necklaces I made for you." James said as he placed the Bixbite necklace around Ayumi's neck and fastened the clasp, the pendant dropped and rested between her cleavage. She looked down and stared in astonishment "Oh my god, it's so beautiful." Ayumi squealed before she hugged the Marine tightly.
James gave Shelyn the Purple Sapphire, Naomi the Titanite, Misuki the Pink Topaz, and Yuki the Green Garnet necklaces, the girls gasped in amazement as they examined the pendants "The necklaces are special, they're enchanted with Power Rise, Boost, and Refresh, so as long as you're wearing it, you'll be basically unstoppable." James explained, Yuki seemed to be delighted at the new necklace while Naomi wrapped her arms around James's neck and kissed him on the lips. "Will this Celina follow if you come with us?" James asked Kasumi who nodded shyly as she twiddled her thumbs, the marksman looked up at the roof as a figure seemed to disappear into the darkness.
"Alright everyone, mount up! We're rolling out in 5." James said as he started to walk back to the Tavern. James walked through the door and looked at the messy table, he walked over and picked up a blood spattered rolled up paper. He unrolled the paper and examined a diagram that looked like an abandoned temple that was accompanied by a map, James looked at the marked point as he pulled his phone out and tracked it on google maps "Sea of Trees, what are they planning?" James asked himself before he rolled the paper up and left the Tavern as the SUVs were running, James climbed into the passenger seat of the second SUV before the convoy left Alephis.
"Whatcha got there, Gunny?" Ramirez asked as the convoy drove out of the city and down the dirt road toward the base that had floodlights that could be seen from the gates of Alephis, the hanger silhouettes stood strong in the night next to the runway that had blinking lights that flashed in the night. "It looks like a temple in the Sea of Trees, they might have been planning something that we interrupted so lets keep our ear to the ground." James explained as they pulled up to the castle, Booker pulled the gate open before the SUVs drove through and parked in the cave that housed the generator. The cave had been expanded dramatically to house the vehicles while not affecting the caves structural stability.
James walked out into the middle of the courtyard and crossed his arms while the others soon joined him "Whatcha doing?" Fox asked confused. "Waiting for our guest of honor." James stated as he watched along the tops of the wall before the castle's proximity alarm went off, the marksman pulled his phone out to track the intruder. The Marines grabbed their weapons as they took up defensive positions, the Floodlights illuminated the wall and revealed a lone figure in a black cloak with a hood over their head. All the rifles focused on the lone target as James unfolded his arms "I take it you're Celina, we found one of your throwing knives in the back of our comrade. You mind explaining yourself?" James asked before he took a step forward, the figure leapt from the wall and soared through the air. James noticed a glint from their body which caused him to leap back out of instinct as four throwing knives dug into the ground where he was standing only seconds prior.
"I said explain yourself, not throw knives at me. Now, I want you to know that we have you out gunned so you try anything and we'll be feeding you to Azazel. Now, come down so we can have a proper conversation." James stated before his earpiece went off "Gunny, I've got a shot." Ramirez said as he had his M4 mounted on the wall. The figure stood atop the workshop before they leapt down and landed in front of the Marine, the other Marines quickly surrounded the figure with the barrels pointed at the person's head; Victoria disarmed the hooded assailant, removing a belt of throwing knives, two bags of smoke bombs, and a regal looking dagger.
Kasumi stepped out from behind Naomi and looked at the hooded figure "Celina... I'm alright, these people are going to help me get to my sister. They took out the Bronze Bulls, that means you don't work for them anymore." Kasumi stated, Celina was quiet before she slowly removed her hood to reveal Strawberry-Blonde hair that came down to her shoulders, she looked up at James with a set of gray eyes that shown sincerity of being apologetic "You have my thanks for keeping Kasumi safe, I protected her after her father's death. I urged her to go to Regulus with her sister but the Bronze Bulls got in the way saying she inherited her father's debt so I joined them to protect her." Celina explained.
"And what about the KNIFE THAT WAS IN MY BACK?! Also, I can't feel my hands." Feldman exclaimed before he dropped like a sack of rocks. Ramirez moved over to Feldman and placed a hand on his back "[Recovery]." Ramirez said before Feldman stood up and popped his joints. "Oh, not just a throwing knife, but a paralytic throwing knife!" Feldman yelled before Elliott patted him on the back "Down boy, let the Gunny handle it." Elliott said as they watched the Marksman speak with the ninja.
"My apologies for that, I was trying to protect her and was trying to stay hidden as well." Celina said with a reverent bow, James snapped his fingers to get her attention "I'm gonna cut straight to the point, we're taking out the agents of The Council of Aegis Obsidian and we're going into Regulus to hunt them down. We'll be moving silently as to not arouse suspicion or cause a war, we'll be going undercover so if you want to help and to atone, you're welcome to join us." James explained.
"Fox, we're gonna need covert weapons; PDWs, SMGs, and Pistols." James stated as he turned to the Corporal, Fox nodded before he ran to the armory to get things prepped. "Feldman and Elliott go with him, everyone else prep your gear. Load light and get robes or something to cover your BDUs and weapons." James ordered before he was met with a resounding 'Sir!', "Yuri, I want you to outfit the SUVs with countermeasures like smoke launchers and LRADs, just in case things go south." James instructed, Yuri nodded before he went to prep the vehicles.
Celina looked around until her gaze rested on Ayumi and the other girls "Ahh, is this man assisting you as well?" Celina asked but Naomi and Yuki laughed "He's our man, we love him and fight alongside him." Yuki explained as she withdrew her Halberd and spun it around with a flourish. James withdrew Dragon's Bane and unsheathed the blade, "Storage!" James said loudly before a portal opened and he reached his arm in to pull out the severed dragon's tail.
The black tail made a thud before he used the katana to pry scales off the tail, he stacked the scales in a pile until all that was left was a giant lizard tail "Azazel! Chow time!" James yelled before the Hellfire Monarch leapt over the castle wall, the three heads started to tear into the dragon tail with a meaty squish. The three heads devoured the tail in no time until all that was left was a few large bones, James tilted his head and walked over to the bones; he held his hand over the bones and closed his eyes "Modeling." James said before the bones turned into armor pieces, James grabbed some leather straps from the workshop and used modeling to make them into armor components like chest pieces, leg, and arm armor.
James picked up the armor and carried it back to the workshop before he called the girls over; Ayumi, Naomi, Shelyn, Misuki, and Yuki walked over to James who was looking at the armor "Girls, go get your armor on and come back here, I want to upgrade it." James said, the girls got excited and ran to the castle to get prepped, the girls came back with their armor on and an ecstatic look on their faces. James grabbed the armor pieces and attached the armor to their body. Ayumi took a deep breath as James fastened armor securely to her thigh, James moved his hand up and brushed against her nova which caused to suck air in as her face turned red.
The girls grabbed the armor pieces and fastened them to their body after watching James's instructions, James turned around and looked at the weapon spread Fox had curated "Voila! I present to you 'Fox's Covert Cache', concealable firearms for your infiltration needs: UMP-45s, MP7s, TAR-21s if you can conceal it, PP-19 Bizon from Yuri's request, and an MPX, all outfitted with suppressors, Vortex Red Dot Sights, Foregrips, and extended mags. Now on to handguns, I got P220s, P226s, Beretta 92FSs, Glock 17s, and Glock 19s, all of which are have threaded barrels with suppressors, tac lights/green laser sights, and extended mags." Fox explained as he displayed his armory.
James nodded as Fox slid a pair of black BDUs forward "Modified with built in armor, stab proof with a dragon scale mesh lining. A modified plate carrier with pouches that expand to fit any size magazine, primary mags on the front and sidearms mags on the sides, Ka-Bar made of dragon scale steel, and two spots for frags, flashbangs, or smoke grenades." Fox explained as he sat the plate carrier down with a thud, James nodded before Fox placed the plate carrier on an upper torso mannequin.
James couldn't help but yawn as the sun was starting to set "Alright everyone, let's get some rest and we'll roll out in the morning." James said before the girls escorted him back to the castle, Kasumi and Celina watched in shock as James was swarmed into the castle, Victoria shook her head as she walked up to Kasumi "I'll show you to the guest bedroom." Victoria said to Kasumi and Celina who looked at her in silence. "What? You need to rest up before tomorrow cause your gonna be on the move a lot." Victoria explained as she lead the two girls into the castle, Elliott and Feldman continued to put attachments onto the weapons before Fox put them on a weapon wall.
Pearson walked up to Jones and Foley who were cleaning their gear "Permission to go to Alephis to see the Tavern girl?" Pearson asked as he stood at parade rest, Foley chuckled "Someone's got the tanker's heart? Go ahead, kid." Foley said while Jones chuckled as he examined the barrel of his M9, Pearson smiled before he opened a [Gate] to Alephis, Pearson stepped through and walked out into the street before he stepped toward the Tavern and passed through the door. "Sorry we're closed for tonight-" The Tavern maiden started to say but stopped when she saw Pearson "Oh, it's you, Pearson, right?" The maiden asked, Pearson chuckled "Pearson is my last name, my first name is Aaron. I'm sorry for what happened earlier, my friends can get a little out of hand." Pearson said with a chuckle. "I'm Rosaria Blakely." The maiden said with a smile, Pearson smiled as he approached her "Well Ms. Blakely, can I please take you out? As an apology for tonight." Pearson asked, Rosaria looked back to the Tavern owner who gave her a wink and a nod.
"I'd love to, just let me get changed." Rosaria said with a smile before she disappeared into the back, Pearson approached the bar where the Tavern owner stood. "She's a good girl, those Bronze Bulls thugs were always harassing her or other female patrons, I'm glad someone finally took out the trash. Please treat her nicely, would ya?" The bartender asked as he cleaned a mug. "Don't worry sir, she's in good hands." Pearson said before Rosaria walked out of the back now in her casual wear; she had flowing golden blonde hair, mint green eyes, and radiant porcelain skin, Pearson was speechless as she approached him "Shall we, Aaron?" Rosaria asked with a wink, Pearson took her arm in his before he escorted her out of the tavern and into the street where the cold air was crisp, Rosaria shivered a bit before Pearson pulled off his coat and put it around her "Here, don't want you getting sick now." Pearson said with a wink.
Pearson and Rosaria walked along the brick road until they came upon an Inn labeled 'The Night Queen Inn', Pearson looked at Rosaria who smiled at him happily before they entered the restaurant. The two took a seat near the fireplace and talked amongst one another until a waitress walked up to take their order "Hey, welcome to the Night Queen? Can I start you off with some Aster Honey Mead?" The waitress asked, Pearson nodded before the waitress left to get their drinks. "I'm glad you came back for me, I also noticed that I captured your gaze back at The Double Eagle." Rosaria said as she caressed the top of Pearson's hand.
The waitress returned with two mugs of Mead and a bowl of bread "This is our signature Honey Sweet Rolls, they're sooo good. Can I interest you in tonight's specials? The waitress asked, Pearson chuckled as she sat two menus down "Our special is a pan-seared steak with garlic butter, topped with rosemary and sautéed onions. We also have a Garlic Butter Chicken with a side of roasted red potatoes and a garlic butter sauce." The waitress explained, Rosaria's eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought of the chicken before Pearson cleared his throat "I think she wants the chicken and I'll have the steak." Pearson said as he handed the menus back to the waitress, the waitress gave them a curtsy before she left to give the order to the kitchen.
Rosaria took a sip of her mead before her cheeks turned flush red "Oh it's so sweet." Rosaria said with a giggle, Pearson smirked as he sipped his "But not as sweet as you." Pearson said with a wink that caused Rosaria to blush. Rosaria grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite which caused her to sigh in ecstasy as the honey melted in her mouth "The sweet rolls are so good." Rosaria said before she took another bite, Pearson chuckled as he took a bite of the roll "Oh the honey is so sweet." Pearson said as a drop of honey dripped onto his lip, Rosaria reached up and wiped the honey off with her finger before she put it between her lips.
Pearson's eyes went wide as she watched the maiden savor the sweet flavors "Mmm, the honey is sweet but there's another flavor, I can't place my finger on it." Rosaria said before she pressed her lips against Pearson's, she pulled away with a giggle "There it is, that's the flavor I tasted." Rosaria said with a wink. Pearson blushed and was speechless as the waitress came back with their food "The steak for the gentleman and the chicken for the lovely lady, you two enjoy." The waitress said with a wink toward Rosaria, Pearson cleared his throat as he adjusted his shirt collar "Man, is it kinda stuffy in here?" Pearson asked as he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.
The Marine tanker cut into the steak and took a bite, the garlic flavor exploded on his taste buds as the butter and rosemary danced across his palate. "Oh my god, it's so tender and juicy." Pearson said as he savored the steaks flavor. Rosaria cut into her chicken and took a bite before she wiped some of the garlic butter from her lips with a napkin "So you and your comrades are adventurers?" Rosaria asked as she ate a red potato, Pearson nodded "Something like that, we're more like guardians. Wherever evil rears its ugly head, we'll be there to cut it off. We snuffed out the slave kingdom of Sandora and have dismantled most of the Council of Aegis Obsidian." Pearson explained.
"Wow... just, that sounds awesome. So, now I know that I'm safe in your arms." Rosaria said with a wink which caused Pearson to almost choke on his Mead. "You're so easy to tease, Aaron." Rosaria said with a giggle, Aaron blushed hard as he stuffed a sweet roll into his face to hide his embarrassment. Aaron and Rosaria finished an elegant meal before they left the Inn to walk around the town, the two walked side by side until Rosaria took the initiative and took Aaron's hand into hers.
So James is your leader?" Rosaria asked as she rested her head on his arm, Aaron chuckled "Yeah, he's our leader but we work as a unit. We have our strengths and weaknesses, and we work together to maximize our strengths." Aaron explained as they walked into a park that had a beautiful fountain in the center, Aaron and Rosaria walked around the fountain when a rock hit Aaron in the back of the head. Aaron grabbed the back of his head before he turned around to five guys starting to circle around Aaron and Rosaria.
A lanky man with messy brown hair and a scraggly beard was in the middle of the group as he tossed a rock up and down in his hand "So, you and your friends come into our town, get Rupert, Gordon, Seymour, and Stephen arrested, and then have the audacity to come into our part of town? You got balls, buddy." The leader of the group said before his cronies laughed as they brandished weapons. "Aaron, let's just go." Rosaria said as she tried to get Aaron to move. "Yeah Aaron, you run along so we can show ya girlfriend what it's like to be with a real man." The man stated before a spat onto the ground.
"Well, you know my name... what's yours?" Aaron asked as he moved Rosaria behind him, the leader of the group looked to his associates before he chuckled "Names Dudley, I guess you'd want to know who's gonna be fucking ya girlfriend?" Dudley asked, Aaron chuckled "Nah, so I know who to send flowers to when your in bed recovering... I suggest you walk away." Aaron said with a straight face, Dudley chuckled "Walk away, who does this clown think he is?" Dudley asked as he shook his head, Aaron sighed as the cronies seemed to be limbering up. "You might want to step back, you're in the splash zone." Aaron said to Rosaria before Dudley ran up and clocked Aaron in the right side of his jaw.
"Alright, I guess you're up first." Aaron said before Dudley threw another right hook but Aaron caught it and drove a palm straight down into Dudley's elbow that let out a nasty snap, Aaron drove his elbow across Dudley's jaw and followed it up with three straight jabs to his ribs. Aaron moved back and drove his foot down into Dudley's knee which caused his leg to fold like an omelet. Dudley dropped to the ground in agonizing pain as Aaron raised his fists "Who's next?" He asked the peanut gallery, a man with piece of metal attempted to swing at Aaron but the Marine caught the pipe and slammed it back into the man's throat. The man stumbled back as he held his own throat, a third crony ran up but got round house kicked in the gizzard, the last two thugs looked at one another before they raised their fists and moved in on the lone Marine.
One of the thugs produced a knife and raised the blade as the other goon tried to surround Aaron, seconds later a carriage pulled up as six more thugs showed up "Damn Dudley, this the guy who kicked your ass?" A man in a royal garb said as he sauntered up. Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out before he sent out a mass text 'Alephis downtown, need help.', Aaron put his phone away as he assessed the situation. One of the royal goons helped Dudley to his working leg and escorted him to the wagon.
"We've got you out numbered, this is gonna be fun." The head of the thug squad said. "Nah, I think its about even." A voice from the shadows said as Ramirez, Fox, Elliott, and Foley walked out of the shadows. "And who are you?" The royal goon asked as Ramirez rolled his neck. "Your worst nightmare." Ramirez said before he sprinted at the royal goon and grabbed him by the royal cape, Ramirez yanked the cape back and slammed the man to the ground before he kicked him in the side of the head. One of the back up goons attempted to kick Ramirez but Fox used [Accel] and caught the man's leg before he brought his elbow down onto the man's kneecap and followed it up with a palm strike to the lower ribcage.
The knife-wielding goon ran up to try and stab Fox but he caught a shoulder charge from Foley who slammed the man into the fountain, the man dropped to the ground before Foley stomped on his hand to make him drop the knife. The man attempted to stand up as Foley helped him up "You're alright." Foley said in a condescending tone, Elliott ran up and clotheslined two more goons to the ground. Fox headbutted his opponent and broke their nose before shoved the man to the ground, Ramirez turned around to face the remaining goons who had retrieved clubs from the carriage "Now this is gonna get interesting." Ramirez said to himself as he slipped on a pair of brass knuckles and tightened his grip. One of the club wielders charged at Ramirez but the Sergeant dropped to a knee and punched the man in the side of the leg which caused the kneecap to dislocate.
The dropped in agonizing pain before he stood up and kicked the other up under his jaw, the force of impact cracked the man's teeth before he collapsed in agony and passed out from the pain. The remaining goons that were still standing raised their hands as the Marines backed off "Don't ever come after us again or it won't just be an ass whoopin'." Foley said as the men retreated to the carriage. "Thanks for coming guys but how did you get here so fast?" Pearson asked, Foley chuckled "You think we'd let you go alone after the shit that went down? Nah, now you two enjoy the rest of your night, see you back at base, Pearson." Foley said before a [Gate] opened and the other Marines passed through it.
"Wow, that was amazing... you were incredible out there." Rosaria said as Aaron walked her away from the park and down to the residential area, Rosaria held Aaron's hand until they came up to a nice cottage looking building "Well, this is me... thank you for tonight, I'm glad you came back to see me." Rosaria said before she kissed him on the lips. "Will I be able to see you again?" Aaron asked as Rosaria reached for the door, she turned around and looked at the Marine "You mean you aren't gonna come inside and have a glass of wine with me?" Rosaria asked with a wink as she escorted Pearson into the house and closed the door.
James sighed deeply as he removed himself slowly from Yuki who moaned in ecstasy, the marksman laid on the bed as the girls swarmed him and held onto his body "That was amazing." Misuki cooed as she nibbled on his ear as her breasts pressed into his side. "I'm so glad I get to be with you girls, I'm the luckiest man in the world." James said as he caressed the girls back. James exhaled slowly as he looked at the roof "I'm sorry that this Aegis Obsidian thing is going on for so long." James said apologetically, Ayumi sat up and looked at the Marine "Nonsense, we're happy as long as we are with you, whether that be in the castle or in combat, if we're fighting alongside you, we're content because we love you." Ayumi said before the other girls murmured in agreement.
"I love you girls." James said as he snaked his arms underneath them and pulled them in close while Naomi laid on top of him with her breasts pressed into his chest "Now let's get some sleep, we get to go to Alephis tomorrow." Naomi said before she kissed James on the lips and wrapped her arms around his neck as she snuggled into his chest. Azazel laid in the hallway between the James's room and the children who Elvie had tucked in, Kasumi and Celina were in the guest bedroom as the moon rose into the night sky and shone through the window. "Can you trust them, Kasumi?" Celina asked as she looked out the window, Kasumi sighed as she rolled over and looked at her friend "If they wanted to hurt us, they've had multiple chances to but have never made an attempt to hurt us." Kasumi stated.
Celina sighed as she walked to the other bed "I hope I'm wrong in doubting them." Celina said as she laid down on the bed and looked at the roof. "Have some faith, Celina, they killed the Bronze Bulls and now we're going to the Regulus Empire tomorrow so lets go to sleep." Kasumi stated as she pulled the covers over her. The castle grounds went quiet as the floodlights illuminated the field, Booker's chrome body gleamed in the light as he looked at the horizon "I hope Master James is ready for whatever may come." Booker said to himself as he touched the Marine Corps sigil that was on his chest. "But I will fight alongside him, I, Sir Booker Welter, will always be a knight until my last breath!" Booker said as he slammed his fist into his chest.
"Hey Booker, buddy, we appreciate the enthusiasm but we need to sleep!" Ramirez called out from the Barracks, Booker bowed apologetically "Apologies Sir Ramirez." Booker said before he returned to his patrol.
A/N: And thus concludes another chapter, the Regulus Empire knows not what is about to roll across its border. Sorry if some of the parts don't match up as I had Pneumonia when I resumed writing. Let me know your thoughts and what you think so far. Remember to Favorite, Follow, and leave a Review, and as always, this is Nightmare 6-4, signing off.